The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has secured victory in all the chairmanship and councillorship seats across the 30 local government areas (LGAs) in Osun State.
The announcement was made by the Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Hashim Abioye, during a press briefing on Saturday.
Despite warnings from the Nigeria Police and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, to suspend the election, the commission proceeded with the poll. OSSIEC justified its decision by citing a ruling from the Osun State High Court in Ilesa, which mandated the electoral body to conduct elections for vacant chairmanship and councillorship positions in all 30 LGAs.
The voting exercise commenced as early as 8 a.m. on Saturday in various parts of the state, including Ede North LGA, where Governor Ademola Adeleke cast his vote.
Following his participation, the governor described the election as peaceful. “The process has been very peaceful, I made a broadcast to my good people of Osun State that this election should be peaceful, there should be no violence because Osun State is a very peaceful state,” he stated.
Earlier, the OSSIEC chairman alleged that security operatives had sealed the commission’s headquarters in Osogbo and arrested some personnel. He noted that the commission had to relocate to an undisclosed venue to carry out its mandate.
On Friday, the police had issued a cautionary statement, advising against the election due to security concerns. According to the authorities, intelligence reports suggested a high possibility of violence during the exercise.
The Attorney General of the Federation also intervened, urging Governor Adeleke to halt the election. He referenced a February 10, 2025, ruling by the Court of Appeal in Akure, which overturned an earlier decision by the Federal High Court in Osogbo from November 25, 2022. The AGF asserted that the appellate court’s judgment reinstated the previously sacked All Progressives Congress (APC) local council chairmen.
Tensions had already escalated in Osun State ahead of the election, with violent clashes reported between members of the APC and PDP over local government council control. These confrontations had resulted in at least six fatalities since Monday.
Before the clashes, Governor Adeleke had warned that APC members, allegedly supported by security agencies, were attempting to forcefully take over local government secretariats. He called on President Bola Tinubu to caution Minister Gboyega Oyetola over the situation, but no preventive measures appeared to have been implemented. Consequently, the violence intensified.
